Throughout the year, those wishing to enjoy a local or international getaway rely on services such as Airbnb. Homestays for cottages, vacation rentals and tourist activities can be booked through the online marketplace.
A recent survey by money.co.uk, however, found during major events and public holidays that Airbnb owners charge over 300% to stay in their properties.
While England is ready to welcome American and European tourists twice over and major events return on schedule, marketplaces such as Airbnb still have a busy few months ahead of them.
Which events have the biggest Airbnb price increase?
In the money.co.uk study, the average price per night of rentals on Airbnb was analyzed. The dates and locations where the UK’s biggest events are set to take place throughout 2021 was the main focus.
Prices were compared to dates from the previous week to find out which events increase Airbnb prices the most.
Stays around the time of Cowes Week, a sailing regatta on the Isle of Wight, have risen 305% in price. Stays around the time of the Open Championship golf tournament, held in Sandwich, Kent this year, saw a 144% increase, making it the event with the second Airbnb price increase higher.
Airbnb owners who rent around Cowes week and The Open Championship can afford to charge a lot more because there are fewer accommodation options in the places where these events take place compared to the big cities.
In third place is the TRNSMT festival held in Glasgow. Airbnb hosts charge more than double (105% increase) during the festival than the week before. As a non-camping festival, you have to find alternative accommodation, which is probably the reason for such a big increase in Airbnb prices during the weekend of this festival.
Which nationwide vacations have the biggest Airbnb price increase?
Over Halloween weekend, Airbnb owners raise prices by an average of 6% across England’s ten major cities. Glasgow saw the biggest price increase of 58% over the weekend.
Over the summer holiday weekend, Airbnb owners increase property stays by an average of 6%. Liverpool saw the biggest price increase with overnight charges jumping 22% from the previous weekend.
Rental prices increase by an average of 8% during the Christmas holidays. Edinburgh‘s Airbnb prices rose 18%, followed by Sheffield (14%) and Liverpool (9%).
the the full research can be viewed in full here. Below is a table showing the top 10 events with the largest Airbnb price increases.
| Rank | Event | Location | Appointment | Average price during the event | Average Price Previous Weekend | To augment |
| 1 | Cowes Week | Cowes, Isle of Wight | July 31-August 7 | £369 | £91 | 305% |
| 2 | Open Championship 2021 | Royal St George Golf Club, Kent | July 15-18 | £611 | £250 | 144% |
| 3 | TRNSMT-Festival | Glasgow Green, Glasgow | September 10-12 | £219 | £107 | 105% |
| 4 | UEFA Euro 2020 final | Wembley Stadium, London | 11 July | £173 | £85 | 104% |
| 5 | Parklife | Heaton Park, Greater Manchester | September 11-12 | £181 | £95 | 91% |
| 6 | Glorious Goodwood | Goodwood Racecourse, West Sussex | July 27-31 | £253 | £173 | 46% |
| 7 | Tram Festival | Hillsborough Park, Sheffield | July 23-25 | £185 | £132 | 40% |
| 8 | 2021 Super League Grand Final | Old Trafford, Greater Manchester | October 9 | £361 | £272 | 33% |
| 9 | Ebot-Festival | York Racecourse, North Yorkshire | August 18-21 | £193 | £147 | 31% |
| ten | England v India five rounds of Tests | Old Trafford cricket ground, Greater Manchester | September 10-14 | £146 | £115 | 27% |
Why do Airbnb prices increase during these seasons?
Recent statistics show that during the fourth quarter of 2020, Airbnb recorded a loss of £2.8 billion. Global revenue fell 22% to £613m in the three months to December 31 as the number of nights booked fell 39% from a year earlier.
The Covid-19 pandemic contributed to this loss as restrictions put in place to help reduce the spread of the virus included national lockdowns that stopped international travel and prevented people from having vacations. As a result, the number of short-term rental advertisements has dropped.
With the UK travel industry and society in general reopening, it’s no surprise to see so many Airbnb hosts keen to get back to business, and many will be able to generate strong rental income. as new events take place and Britain experiences another holiday boom. But question marks over whether it’s fair for Airbnb owners to inflate their prices as much as they do, and whether to take away much-needed supply, will also persist.
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